Texas Smoked Barbecue Meatloaf

It's dishes like this that keep up excited about food. Our love for barbecue could be a cause for worry from outsiders. And we also enjoy a great meatloaf. In fact, meatloaf is the epitome of classic home-cooking for us. Because we're no stranger to barbecuing meatloaf, we started to think about incorporating regional barbecue ingredients into different loaves.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 6 hr
• Total Time: 7 hr
• Calories: 333 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup water
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 ½ tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3 tablespoons salt
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ½ cup almond flour
• 1 green bell pepper, shredded
• ½ yellow onion, shredded
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper - stemmed, seeded, and minced
• aluminum foil pan
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, or as needed
• 2 pounds pecan wood chunks, soaked in water
• ½ cup unfiltered apple juice
• 1 ½ tablespoons bourbon whiskey
• ½ teaspoon honey, or to taste
• 1 dash liquid smoke
• 1 pinch ancho chile powder

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, and thyme in a spice grinder until powdered. Set rub aside.

Step 2

Combine beef, almond flour, bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, egg, and garlic in a bowl. Mix lightly with hands until loosely combined. Gently fold in spice rub mixture until distributed throughout.

Step 3

Punch holes in the bottom of the aluminum foil pan and coat with grapeseed oil. Form the meat mixture into a loaf and place in the prepared pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the smoker.

Step 4

Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place a water-filled pan under the grate where the meatloaf will be placed. Fill firebox with charcoal and 1 chunk pecan wood.

Step 5

Place meatloaf in the hot smoker.

Step 6

Combine apple juice, vinegar, bourbon, water, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice in a clean, all-purpose spray bottle. Spray the outside of the meatloaf well with apple spray every 30 minutes.

Step 7

Refill firebox with charcoal and 1 chunk pecan wood every 45 minutes to maintain temperature; ground meat absorbs smoke very easily, so use only 1 chunk of wood at a time. Smoke meatloaf until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F (55 degrees C), about 2 hours.

Step 8

Combine water, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, mustard, lemon juice, honey, liquid smoke, ancho chile powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring glaze to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until reduced, about 20 minutes.

Step 9

Discontinue apple spray; brush glaze over entire top and sides of meatloaf every 30 minutes. Continue smoking until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 4 to 5 hours more. Remove meatloaf from smoker and let rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.